A Faire Weekend
by sosmitten
Summary: Post Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller. Lorelai visits Luke at the Renaissance Faire. Complete Story.
1. Butterflies

**Disclaimer:** These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

**Author's Note**: I've always wanted to write Luke and Lorelai at the Renaissance Faire and I thought it would be fun to go back to the beginning of their relationship again. Huge thanks to JeSouhaite for the beta. I was very discouraged about this chapter, but as always, it is much better for her input.

* * *

Lorelai walked into the house and kicked off her shoes as she picked up the phone. Before dialing, she plopped down on one end of the couch, her knees curled up against her chest. She punched in the now-familiar number and impatiently tapped her fingers while listening to the phone ring. 

"Hello." Luke's voice was friendly and warm.

"How much longer?"

"Lorelai?"

"Who else? I thought no one else had this number? You haven't been writing it on girl's hands in bars, have you?"

"I'm not even sure how to respond to that. Are you okay?"

"I just…it's been a while since I talked to you, and I was thinking about…missing you, so I was just wondering how much longer you have to stay there?" There was a hopeful lilt in her voice. When he didn't respond right away, she asked cautiously, "Luke?"

She could hear him take a breath before speaking, "It'll be a few more weeks."

"A few?"

"Four."

"Four! That's a whole month," Lorelai cried, "It's already been three weeks. You can't even come home for a couple of days?" She caught herself quickly and continued, "No, I know you can't."

"I'm sorry, but Liz and TJ are going to be in their casts awhile longer. If it were just the broken legs they might be able to get around okay on crutches, but with the broken arms..."

"God, listen to me. Multiple broken bones and I'm complaining."

"Well, if it helps, I wish I were there too."

"I'm sorry I'm being so whiny. I just…things aren't the same here without you and Rory." She had mentioned Rory without thinking and she felt a renewed sense of emptiness at the separation from her daughter.

"You've been talking to her on the phone, right?"

"Oh, of course. I've been talking to her and my mom pretty regularly." She could feel that her voice was too bright, almost brittle, and she was relieved when he changed the subject.

"How are things at the inn?"

"Great! I just spent the last few days training some new employees. Now that the occupancy rate is up, we could afford to bump up the staff. I might even be able to take a weekend off." She sighed, suddenly realizing how tired she was.

"Why don't you come visit for a couple of days?" he asked casually.

The question took her by surprise, so much so that she didn't register her answer until the words were out of her mouth. "Sure, that sounds great." Once she realized what she had agreed to, she stammered, "Uh…If you're sure." Maybe it had been one of those polite invitations she was supposed to refuse. She had never been very good at things you were supposed to do. And a whole weekend with Luke? She missed him, but maybe that was a little much for a first date.

"Yeah, I'm sure," although now he sounded a bit nervous. Maybe he wasn't sure what he had gotten himself into either. "It'll be fun to show you around the fair."

"I thought you hated it."

"Yeah, I do, but it'll be fun if you're here. There's a lot of mocking potential."

"Well then, it sounds like we have our weekend cut out for us. Let me check in with Sookie and Michel and I'll get back to you about exactly when I will be able to leave."

"So, I'll talk to you again soon?"

"Yeah, I promise it won't be as long as last time."

"I'll hold you to that. Bye."

"Bye." She hung up slowly, processing what had just happened. Anxiety and anticipation battled for dominance in her confused brain. She was going to see Luke! She was going to spend the weekend with Luke! Holy shit! Where was she going to sleep?

* * *

"Are you all ready for your road trip?" Sookie asked eagerly. 

"Yep, as soon as Michel gets here at noon, I'm heading out."

"I can't believe it. A romantic getaway weekend with Luke."

"I don't know about that. It's hardly going to be that much of a getaway with Liz and TJ and all the freaky fair people around. I'm not even sure we're ready for a romantic weekend. We haven't even had a date yet."

"That's a technicality."

"A pretty big technicality."

"So...what are the sleeping arrangements?" Sookie asked with a mischievous grin.

"Sookie!" Lorelai looked down, a blush on her cheeks.

"Lorelai!" Sookie mimicked, and then realization dawned. "Oh my God! You're nervous! You're nervous about Luke. Why are you nervous about Luke?"

"It's _Luke_, Sookie. I know we go way back, but this whole attraction piece of our relationship is new and scary…" Sookie rolled her eyes at Lorelai's fear, "and wonderful." Lorelai allowed herself a small smile. "But I've still only kissed him once."

"I thought it was twice, and almost three times?" Sookie corrected her cheekily.

"Well yeah, but it's still quite a jump from that to a weekend together. I don't even know what we are. This is the strangest way start to a relationship."

"Lorelai, what do _you_ want? Do you want to sleep with him?"

"I'll admit I've been having some impure thoughts-"

"I knew it! Eventually you had to see how hot Luke is. I just never thought it would take this long."

"Don't you think it's a little early, though? I don't want to screw this up."

"Just as long as you're screwing Luke…" Sookie said with a grin.

"Sookie!"

"Wow, you've never agonized like this with your other boyfriends. You're totally smitten. It's cute."

"I'm not…and he's not…" Lorelai started.

"I've seen you when he calls you here. You say it's a vendor or something, but you're all flirty and giddy. You have it bad."

"Okay, so I like him…a lot, but boyfriend, that's definitely jumping the gun."

"He isn't just any guy. This is Luke. Doesn't he merit boyfriend status?"

"Typically you actually have a date with someone before using that term."

"I can't believe how stubborn you are about what's right in front of you. Just go. Have a great time, and don't be afraid to talk to him."

"I just wish I knew what he was thinking," sighed Lorelai.

"Oh honey, I _know _what he's thinking. I mean, he's a man, he's crazy about you, and you – well, look in a mirror sometime. But Lorelai. I also know Luke, and he would never do anything you didn't want to do. So, I guess the question is, what do you want?"

"I wish I knew."

* * *

As Lorelai pulled away from the inn, she felt jittery and butterflies danced around her stomach. The butterflies had certainly made themselves at home recently and Lorelai thought back to when they had started. The fluttering definitely went into high gear after the kiss. That was when she acknowledged them – and acknowledged her feelings, but when they started…that must have been the wedding. That was the night they had crossed the line from 'just friends' to 'something more.' It had started with the '_You look beautiful_.' There was something about hearing the words, _you_ and _beautiful_, coming from Luke's lips that made her shiver. Or was it Luke's lips that made her shiver? She giggled to herself at the thought and allowed a moment of distraction before her mind returned to the wedding – and the dance. No big deal. Friends at a wedding dance, right? But then she remembered the way his hands had felt on her waist and the look in his eye and how she had let him pull her close – and what she had felt when he did. It was the romantic walk home and the movie invite that had pulled them clearly into 'something more' territory. He had made his intention clear and set loose the butterflies to float tentatively for almost a week before the kisses set them all a-flutter again. In spite of how long they had been with her, she hadn't let herself acknowledge what they meant until the phone call the day after the kiss. In a few hours she would be seeing him for the first time since realizing what she felt. Now it wasn't just butterflies, her skin was tingling – in anticipation and nervousness. She had never been this anxious – or excited – about a guy. Knowing that – recognizing that – only added to the confused mess of emotions she was feeling in that moment. 

Lorelai called Luke as she pulled off the highway so she wasn't surprised to see him standing near the entrance gate when she pulled into the parking lot. He was wearing the familiar flannel and baseball cap and his hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans. She waved as she got out of the car and felt her stomach flip when he waved back and started toward her. A nervous smile played on his lips and he looked so adorably hesitant that Lorelai threw her arms around his neck in an excited hug. He held her tightly and they stayed that way a few moments before Lorelai started to pull away. Luke held her waist lightly and tilted his head down for a kiss, which was somehow both gentle and persistent at the same time. Lorelai felt him begin to pull back and before he could, she grabbed his shoulders and held him tighter to extend the kiss. When she did eventually pull away, she smiled shyly.

He smiled back at her and said softly, "Hey."

"Hey yourself. It's good to see you. Missed you."

"Back atcha."

"So, what's the plan? You said something about getting dinner. I'm starved."

"I wouldn't expect otherwise. Let's take your stuff in to Liz's booth and then we can go get some food. We'll probably have to say hello to Liz and TJ, but we can make it quick."

Lorelai gave him a curious look then opened the back door and pulled out two small bags. She threw one over her shoulder and Luke took the other.

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh…where are we staying?"

_To be continued._


	2. Campsites and Coyotes

**Disclaimer:** These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

**Author's Note**: Thanks to **JeSouhaite** and **ecouteuse** for the fabulous beta help.

* * *

"_Luke?" _

"_Yeah?"_

"_Uh…where are we staying?"_

"Well…uh…" Luke had known that this conversation was coming, but now that it was here, he didn't know how to address it. "I've been staying in a tent."

"A tent. Huh."

"I got you a sleeping bag," he added helpfully.

"So…camping?"

"Yeah."

"Sleeping outside."

"Well, in a tent."

"Sleeping on the ground."

"I got you a sleeping bag…and a sleeping pad." He couldn't tell if this was going well or not.

"And you're going to be in the tent too?"

"Uh…if that's okay," he stammered, watching her reaction carefully. "I have my own sleeping bag."

"Yeah," she said slowly. "I think I'd rather that than being by myself. I don't want to be attacked by a bear."

Luke was stupefied. He couldn't tell if she was serious or not. "And somehow my being there is going to save you from a random bear attack?"

"Okay, not helping with the whole sleeping outside idea."

"Well I don't think that a bear has attacked a camper in these parts in at least two or three years." Yes, humor was definitely the way to go.

"Luke!"

"I'm kidding, this is really too populated an area for bears anyway. Now, coyotes, that's another matter." He'd missed the fun of teasing Lorelai.

"Luke!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist." He smiled and then looked straight at her. "Seriously, is this okay?"

"Yeah," she paused, "it's okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She giggled then. "Rory is never going to believe this." He watched her expression go from laughter to sadness in a matter of moments when it struck her what she had said. Luke knew there was more to Rory's trip than Lorelai was telling him. He hadn't felt comfortable asking her about it over the phone, but maybe he would have an opportunity this weekend.

But at not this particular moment, because she had already changed the subject, "Why didn't you tell me where we were staying? I've been wondering about it all week."

"You have?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Well, yeah," she admitted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I know you're not a big fan of the great outdoors. I didn't want you to change your mind."

"You thought I might not come because of sleeping in a tent?"

"I wasn't sure how strong your dislike of the outdoors was."

"So that was the only reason, and it didn't have anything to do with 'We're spending a weekend together and we haven't had a date yet.'"

"There may have been a bit of that."

"Yeah, for me too."

"Lorelai, I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I'm not…expecting…"

"I know Luke. I know," she said in a reassuring tone. "So, should we go in? I'm excited to see this place. Your rants have me really intrigued."

"Well, the Faire is just closing up for the day, so you won't be able to get the fully nauseating experience until tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to it. I hear there's lots of interesting food," she said with a grin.

He rolled his eyes, "Only you would think that."

As they walked through the gate, Luke watched Lorelai take in the scene, "Wow, look at all these people dressed up in crazy costumes, pretending that they lived hundreds of years ago, and doing it just because it's fun. This must be hell for you." Her words were teasing but her smile was warm. "Somehow you've managed to keep your standard uniform." Lorelai looked over at him briefly. "Too bad. I really wanted to see you in tights – or was it air pants?"

Luke shook his head firmly, "That is never going to happen."

"I can be very convincing…" she flirted.

"Never going to happen."

Lorelai shook her head in mock frustration and giggled. "So which way is Liz's booth?"

"It's down this direction," Luke said, gesturing toward the jousting field.

"Next to the apple doll booth, right?"

"Yeah."

"And that's a prime spot?"

"Apparently. Liz told me why, but honestly, I tuned out as soon as she said apple doll."

Lorelai looked up at him and laughed, then scanned the booths. "Oh, there they are. Hi Liz!"

Liz looked up and smiled widely, "You're here!"

"Yeah. It's good to see you. I love your costume."

"Isn't it great? I love how this dress pushes up my boobs and makes me look like a serving wench."

"Awww jeez, Liz. Can you not talk about your boobs in my presence? Or anybody's presence for that matter?"

"Oh, I love when he's embarrassed," Liz said as she looked at him that teasing smile she reserved for her older brother.

"Me too. Maybe we can torment him together," Lorelai turned and rested her hand on Luke's arm, "right?"

"Do I have a choice?" He never really did when it came to Lorelai.

"So you're here, visiting my brother?" Liz asked as Lorelai nodded shyly. "I guess you're his type after all, at least judging from the grin on his face when he's on the phone."

Luke felt himself flush and he looked at his feet. He heard Lorelai say softly, "I guess so."

"Apparently there was more going on at the wedding than I realized."

Lorelai giggled nervously, "There was more going on at the wedding than _I_ realized." She gave Luke a pointed look that caused him to look away yet again.

"Well, I'm just glad that the celebration of my love for TJ was able to inspire you two to get together."

Liz turned as TJ hobbled up behind her. While her head was turned, Luke saw Lorelai struggling to keep from laughing as he grimaced at Liz's words.

"Lorelai, it's nice to see you!" TJ went to hug her, but was thankfully unable to between casts and crutches. "He managed to drag you up here? Go figure. I'm not sure what a girl like you sees in this guy, though. He's always cranky and refuses to get into the renaissance spirit."

Lorelai shot Luke a sympathetic look, "Well, uh…"

Liz broke in, "Oh TJ, give him a break. You know that we wouldn't have been able to be here if it weren't for Luke. He's been such a saint to help us out."

"Oh, Saint Luke. I like that," Lorelai teased.

"Oh yeah? That's sort of become his nickname around here," Liz said as she gave Luke a knowing look.

"Jeez Liz, cut it out." In an attempt to change the subject, he continued, "Lorelai and I were planning to go out for dinner. We can put up the tents before we go. Is there anything else you need?"

TJ replied petulantly, "Sure, you go out and have fun. We'll be here with our crutches and our broken bones. Don't worry a thing about us."

"Aww TJ, we can do just fine. Let's just go get some food while they're setting up the tents."

As Luke started pulling out the tent equipment, Lorelai laid a hand on his arm and whispered, "You know, she's right. You really are a saint."

"It's no big deal."

"Okay. If you say so." Lorelai shrugged then giggled.

"What?"

"Saint Luke, It's kinda cute."

"Whatever. Here, can you put that over there?" he said, handing her a bag of tent stakes.

"Lu-uke," TJ called as they hobbled away on their crutches, "make sure that you pound those stakes in really well. I had to lean over yesterday to hammer in a few loose stakes and I still have that stabbing pain in my back."

"More like a pain in _my_ ass," muttered Luke.

* * *

"Oh my god, I'm starving," Lorelai said as they sat down at their table in the restaurant. "It took forever to put those tents up." 

"Let me just say that I'm not surprised you've never been camping. Couldn't get those tent poles to cooperate, huh?"

"Says the guy with the oldest tent known to man. I can't help it if your tent poles won't stay together. Why can't you have the kind that are connected, like Liz and TJ have?"

"It's not like you had any luck with those either. There's nothing wrong with my tent poles. Now the person putting them together…"

"Hey, maybe I just have bad tent karma."

"Is there such a thing as good tent karma?"

"I guess I'll never know."

He grinned at her. "That's for sure." It had been amusing watching her try to help with the tents. He'd had to stop her when she almost drove a stake through his foot.

That earned him a glare, but her expression softened and she slapped his shoulder playfully. She looked at him a moment and then asked suddenly. "Hey Luke…are there facilities?"

"Facilities?" He was surprised by the question, though he should know better. She was the queen of the non-sequitur.

"You know, uh…bathrooms."

"Here?"

"No, not here. At the Faire."

He gave her a wicked grin. "There are some privies."

"Privies?" She looked really nervous.

"Yeah, well technically porta-potties, but because we're surrounded by the lunacy that is the renaissance faire, we're supposed to call them privies."

"Porta-potties. Huh. So, how do you…where do you…shower?" She hesitated. "Or do you?"

Okay, he needed to clarify that point right away. "There are showers and toilets with running water at the Faire grounds, just not for public use. Don't worry, we can use them."

"Okay. Good." The relief was evident in her face.

They spent a few minutes looking over the menu and then ordered: a chicken Caesar salad for Luke, a burger with fries for Lorelai, and beers for both of them.

"Don't you get tired of salad?"

"Don't you get tired of burgers?"

"No, especially not yours. Speaking of which, your being here is depriving me of my staple food products. Nobody else makes the burgers and pie exactly the way that I like them. And then there's the coffee."

"So you missed me cooking for you?"

"Well, yeah."

"Is that all you missed?"

"No there's some other stuff."

"Really? Like what?"

His heart skipped a beat when she put her hand on his arm and leaned in to kiss him. Luke couldn't help glancing nervously around restaurant, but when Lorelai noticed and pulled back, he silently kicked himself.

"Sorry," she said, clearly embarrassed.

He tried to reassure her. "Don't apologize. I was just surprised." He leaned in to whisper softly, "I missed you too."

Later, they had finished their dinners and were debating dessert.

"Are you really asking if I want dessert?" Lorelai teased. "You've got to be joking. Of course I do, and coffee too. I'm feeling really tired all of a sudden."

"You must have had a long day. Do you want to go back?"

"It was a long day. Actually, a long week, but I think I can make it through dessert."

"I can't believe I ever doubted. Still, the long drive probably didn't help much," he said with understanding. "I just hope you don't go back home more exhausted than you arrived."

"I'll be fine," Lorelai said, pausing before she continued, "Luke…Is it okay that I came?"

"Of course. Why?"

"On the phone you sounded nervous. I wasn't sure you really meant to invite me."

"I did. I was surprised you said yes, but I'm glad you're here."

"Good."

"Are you really okay with…everything?"

"By everything you mean the whole tent thing."

"That and…well that. I mean, have you ever slept in a tent before?"

"No. It's kind of ironic actually. I made it through my childhood as well as Rory's potential Girl Scout phase without any significant outdoor experiences and now that she's off at college, here I am…camping. I must like you." She glanced at him for a moment. "I do have a question, though. In this sleeping outside in a tent scenario, where does the coffee come from?"

"I've got that taken care of."

"Really?" She sounded impressed and Luke mentally congratulated himself for his forethought.

* * *

It was dark by the time they returned to the Faire grounds. Except for small groups of people talking near their campsites, everything was quiet as well. They went to the tent to get their toothbrushes before walking to the bathrooms. When he was finished, Luke waited outside for Lorelai. 

As she exited, he asked, "Were the facilities satisfactory?"

She nodded, "Modern and clean. If only the tourists knew how much you're cheating."

He held the door open that led back into the 'official' Faire grounds and she fell into step beside him.

"It's pretty here. Lot's of stars," she said, looking up into the sky.

"I like this time of night. It's peaceful."

She looked at him then, as if making a decision. "Luke? There's no one around and it's dark. Can I kiss you now?" She was teasing him, but he could sense some leftover discomfort from the kiss in the restaurant.

"Earlier…I didn't mean that I didn't want…"

"It's okay Luke, I get it. So…?"

His answer was to take her face in his hands and kiss her softly, rubbing his thumbs across her cheeks and tangling his fingers in her hair. He ran one hand down her spine and held her tightly at her waist, while the other hand caressed the back of her neck. Lorelai reached around his neck and pulled him tighter while her fingers played with the curls of hair that stuck out from beneath his hat. This was the kiss they should have had the night of the test run, if Kirk had not interrupted them. It was slow, deep and endless. Eventually Lorelai pulled back to catch her breath. Her hands slid down off his shoulders and rested on his chest, where her fingers played with one of the buttons on his shirt. She was quiet, her eyes averted, focused on the button and her fingertips.

"Lorelai? Are you okay?"

She glanced up briefly at him, but then dropped her eyes to his chest again. "Yeah. It's just…It's you. I'm kissing…you."

"Yeah?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice.

She must have picked up on the tone in his voice, because she reassured him, "That's not bad. It's good. Really. It's just…I'm not making sense. I'm sorry."

"No, I get it." He said as he pulled her head into his chest. He took in the citrus scent of her shampoo and tucked a soft curl behind her ear. He thought he knew what she meant. It still felt a little unreal to be holding her. There had been several times since coming to Maine that he had woken up and thought that it had all been a dream. Each extra week that he stayed made him worry that she would change her mind. Now that she was here, he just wanted to avoid scaring her away. "Hey. I know you're beat. Do you want to go back and go to sleep?"

"Yeah, but wait just a minute," she answered as she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him. After a few moments, she released him slowly and they continued walking back toward Liz's booth, this time with Luke's hand resting softly on the small of her back.

"Liz and TJ must be asleep," Luke whispered when they got back to the tents. "Do you want to get…uh…changed? I can wait out here until you're done," he added quickly.

She nodded and ducked into the tent. A few minutes later, she poked her head out, "I'm finished. Do you want me to…?"

"No, that's okay." Once in the tent he took off his flannel and slid carefully out of his jeans and into a pair of sweats, while Lorelai politely averted her eyes. When they were both dressed, Luke looked at her, "I hope you're able to sleep okay. It seems like you could use a good nights sleep."

"Yeah. Well I guess we'll see if what they say about fresh air and sleeping is right. Good night."

"Good night." They both seemed to be hesitating. Luke leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, then whispered, "Sleep well."

"You too."

Luke lay down and tried to relax, but he knew that sleep was a long way off. Lorelai had been right about his invitation. It had been an impulse and he had been as surprised about inviting her as he was that she agreed to come. It wasn't how he would have chosen for their first date to be. It was hard to know how to negotiate a whole weekend together, and he hadn't thought about how hard it was going to be to fall asleep next to her.

Now that she was here, the tent smelled different. It was the sweet scent of her shampoo that had enveloped him while they had been kissing. He was finding it very difficult to keep from reaching over and kissing her again. But here, in the tent, he was afraid about where that might lead, that it would push them too far, too fast, while they were still getting used to being with each other as more than friends. So he lay still, trying to pretend that he was sleeping.

It wasn't working.

"Hey Luke." Her voice was soft and tentative in the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"You were kidding about the bears and coyotes, right?"

"Yeah, I was kidding." Apparently they were both having trouble sleeping.

* * *

_To be continued_


	3. Grog Girls and Onion Blossoms

**Disclaimer:** These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

**Author's Note**: I know that the last thing people probably want to read right now is a post season four piece, but that's where my muse is right now. I hope everyone enjoys this, regardless. Huge thanks to **JeSouhaite** for the beta. I was really unsure about this chapter and as usual she was able to talk me down and help me make it better.

* * *

Lorelai woke the next morning and it took her a moment to realize where she was and why the walls and ceiling were so close to her. She was in a tent. She had slept outside in a tent. With Luke. She remembered wondering if she was ever going to be able to fall asleep. It had been impossible to relax with the constant chirp of crickets, the random hooting of an owl, and what she could swear was the occasional howl of a wolf. When she couldn't shake her nervousness about the sounds of nature, she had tried thinking about Luke. That was effective in distracting her from her fear, but thinking about his fingers caressing her face and tangled in her hair and his lips on hers didn't make it any easier to sleep. She had desperately wanted to slide over next to him and let him wrap his arms around her, but after such a chaste goodnight kiss, she wasn't sure how he would feel about that. She wondered if he had as much trouble falling asleep as she did. Somewhere in the midst of her thoughts it occurred to her to wonder if he was awake and she turned to look in his direction.

Not only was he awake, but he was gone, his sleeping bag neatly smoothed out. She allowed herself a moment of concern about his absence, but then remembered that he was an unusually early riser. Sitting up slowly, she wondered what the procedure was for waking up in a tent. She pulled on her sweatshirt, then sat for a moment, pondering what to do next. She was hesitant to go outside, given that she wasn't used to encountering the world before showering and she wasn't especially looking forward to seeing TJ. On the other hand, a trip to the bathroom was fast becoming a necessity.

Somewhere in the middle of her internal debate, she heard Luke's voice at the door of the tent. "Lorelai? Are you up?"

She moved to unzip the door and let him in. "Hey. Good morning."

"Good morning. I…uh…brought you some coffee," he said as he handed her a filled travel mug.

"Thanks. Just what I needed." She sat on her sleeping bag, hugging her knees and cradling the coffee in both hands.

He knelt and sat back on his heels across from her. "How long have you been up? I didn't wake you, did I?"

"I woke up a few minutes ago. What time is it?"

"A little before eight."

"Why didn't you wake me? Doesn't the Faire open in an hour?"

"Yeah, but it seemed like you were sleeping pretty soundly and I didn't want to disturb you. Did you sleep okay? Were you comfortable?"

His concern was sweet and Lorelai forgot her brief annoyance at being left alone in unfamiliar circumstances. "Yeah I was fine. I was really tired." She paused to take a sip of her coffee. "So tell me, where did you get the coffee?"

"I heated water on the camp stove and from there I think that you're familiar with the process."

"Camp stove, huh? And I thought you just ran out to Dunkin Donuts or something. But this isn't instant. How did you make it?"

"Actually, I used a travel coffee press that I found at the outdoor store."

"Wow, fancy." She was surprised and touched at the thought he had put into making sure she would have coffee. "You must have been a great boy scout…always prepared." Her voice softened, "Thanks for this."

He shrugged, "You didn't really think I was going to deprive you of coffee, did you?"

"After all the times you've threatened to cut me off? This would pretty much have been your perfect opportunity." She grinned at him, then asked, "So, would this be a good time to take a shower?"

"Yeah, do you want me to walk you over there?"

"That's okay. I think that I can find it and you probably have some things to do to get ready, right?"

"Yeah, speaking of which, we need to-"

"Lu-uke," She could suddenly hear TJ's voice outside the tent, "We have to get those tents taken down and put away before the Faire opens. We don't want to be rushing at the last minute like that time last week."

Luke looked like he wanted to growl, but he just answered in a tight voice, "The tent will be down in a few minutes, TJ."

"Oh Luke, I'm sorry to hold you up."

"Don't worry about it. He's just…well, he's just TJ."

Lorelai quickly gathered her things and left for her shower. When she returned, Luke was stowing the last of their gear out of sight behind the booth. "So you got everything put away in time for TJ?"

He just nodded, "Did you find everything okay?"

"Yeah, I even met someone – a singer. Her name was Mildred, but I don't know if that was her real name or her stage name. I think she said she was in a group of singing nuns with ukuleles. Luke, was she joking?"

"Sadly - no."

"Wow, this place is even scarier I thought." Lorelai glanced around their now vacant campsite, thinking how strange it was to even think about 'their campsite.' "Do you have to take down the tent and put it back up every day?"

"Just the days that the Faire is open. Most weeks it's open Friday, Saturday and Sunday."

"What do you and Liz and TJ do with yourselves when it's closed?"

"I've mainly been trying to keep TJ from killing himself. He's working on expanding the booth, but he's basically incapable of handling any sort of construction. I've been helping Liz too."

"What does she do?"

"She mostly works on jewelry, filling special orders and making more of the things that sold the most."

"And you've been helping her, make jewelry?"

"No, she makes it. I just help her hold stuff and string beads. It's hard for her with her arm in a cast."

"You've been making jewelry!"

Luke looked as if he'd been caught knitting tea cozies.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed. It's really sweet that you're helping Liz, and I just know that Taylor would love to sell some of your handiwork in the new Stars Hollow gift shop he's thinking of opening."

His eyes widened and he said warningly, "Lorelai."

"I'm kidding. I won't tell a soul, on one condition."

"What?" he asked gruffly.

"Make me something?" she asked tentatively.

* * *

After cleaning up the campsite to TJ's satisfaction and running several little errands at his request, Luke and Lorelai finally managed to head out to explore the Faire. Before leaving, Lorelai pulled out her cell phone to check for messages. "Hey Luke?" 

"Yeah?"

"Are there any renaissance enforcers that will get angry if I use my cell phone?"

"TJ likes to pretend there are, but he is full of shit. Do you need to make a call?"

"No, I just want to have it on in case someone calls…from the inn or something."

"Sure. Go ahead," he said slowly, studying her for a moment. He looked as though he wanted to ask something, but then thought better of it.

He probably knew that she was hoping for a call from Rory. She found herself wondering, as she had several times recently, what Luke knew or suspected about Rory's sudden trip to Europe. He had asked about Rory several times, but to Lorelai's relief he never pressed when she changed the subject. Now though, she was starting to wish she could talk to him about it, not necessarily the gory details, but about the fact that they were fighting.

She would have talked about it to old Luke – 'friend Luke,' but she wasn't sure how 'friend Luke' fit into their current situation. She had never really been friends with any of her boyfriends, at least not in her adult life. It had always been safer that way, being less emotionally attached, though she felt a pang of sadness at the thought that 'something more' with Luke might actually end up being 'something different' instead. For a very tiny moment she questioned the wisdom of this relationship, then she glanced at him and saw his smile, and she knew that she wanted this new part of Luke. She just wasn't sure how it all fit together, and the uncertainty left her feeling very unsettled.

She pulled herself back into the moment and asked, "So, where first?"

"I got a program. Why don't you choose?"

Lorelai found their location on the map and looked at the entertainment schedule. "Oh hey, there's a juggling act starting up," she paused to orient herself and then pointed, "over that way. Harold the Village Juggler. What do you think?"

"Sounds fine to me."

They headed over to juggling stage and sat down on one of the wooden benches. When the juggler appeared on the stage Luke mumbled, "Oh, not this guy."

Lorelai looked at him curiously, "Why? What's wrong?"

He looked at her and shrugged, "Nothing. It doesn't matter. We're just watching him juggle, right?"

"As far as I know," Lorelai answered, perplexed by Luke's reaction.

They sat on the wooden benches and watched as Harold the juggler made bawdy jokes and tossed around a wide variety of strange props. At one point he asked for a volunteer from the audience. Lorelai raised her hand, "Me, me! Pick me!"

"Oh, don't," Luke said, pulling her hand down.

"What! Why?"

"He's just going to embarrass you, in front of all of these people."

"Okay, fine," she shrugged.

Harold did in fact embarrass the woman who was chosen, as well as juggle knives over her while blindfolded, so maybe Luke's instinct had been right on that. For the last act of the show, he pulled off his blousy shirt, to reveal his bare chest, which elicited a groan from Luke, "Oh god, now we have to see him shirtless too?"

"What's wrong with that? He's got a nice chest."

Luke shot her an unreadable look, then raised his eyebrow, "Really?"

"I mean, I'm sure that there are other guys who would look good shirtless," She gave him a pointed look, "but I wouldn't know." She rested her hand briefly on his chest. "So, I guess I'll have to settle for looking at Harold's chest." She shrugged with a 'what's a girl to do' look and pointed at the stage, where the juggler was now juggling three flaming sticks. "Besides, I think that his shirt would have caught on fire."

"Now _that_ would have been entertaining," Luke joked wryly.

Luke seemed relieved when the show was over. As they left the stage area, Lorelai's attention was drawn to one of the food stands. "Look Luke! I smell deep-fried goodness."

"You do have a nose for it."

"What are they?" Lorelai moved to get a closer look.

"Onion blossoms - yet another example of the junk that they call food. I suppose you're going to insist on having one."

"You know me so well," she giggled as they headed to the booth, where he grumbled as he bought the batter-dipped onion flower.

"Wow! This is really good. You so need to make these at the diner."

"I do. They're called onion rings."

"This is _not_ an onion ring. This is so much prettier than an onion ring."

"And that matters, why?"

"People like to eat attractive food, and it's fun too. Can't you imagine Kirk and Lulu sharing one of these at the corner table?"

"That's the most convincing argument you could come up with?"

"Give me some time. I have all weekend, right?"

They found a place to sit and the friendly banter continued for a few more minutes before Lorelai asked, "Luke, what do you guys do on the days that the Faire isn't open? Do you go out to eat or do you use that camp stove thingy you were talking about before?"

"Sometimes we use the 'camp stove thingy,'" he said, mocking her word choice, "or we grill. Sometimes we go out."

"But what do you do for fun? Are there other people here during the week?" For some reason, Lorelai found herself really curious about how Luke was spending his time.

"A few others, but most of them are just here on the weekends. Sometimes if there are people around we hang out and have some beers. Once someone organized a trip to the movies. A lot of times, though, I just read a book…or call you." He shrugged, as if to say, 'what else would I be doing?'

"I was just wondering how you were dealing with not being in your diner 12 –16 hours a day," she said casually, trying to downplay her curiosity.

"Okay. Hey, do you mind if we check in on Liz and TJ? I want to see if they want me to bring them some lunch, or if they need any help with anything."

"Am I keeping you from them?"

"Thankfully, yes."

"Seriously Luke. I don't want to get in the way."

"You are not in the way. No matter what TJ says, they can survive a morning without me."

They stopped by the booth and took lunch orders, which required trips to three different food stands. Lorelai took the opportunity to survey all of the food choices. "Wow, cheesecake on a stick, turkey legs, fudge, apple dumplings, steak on a stake, funnel cakes. How will I ever decide?"

"I promise you, you are not missing anything if you don't eat any of this junk," Luke grumbled.

"Aww, what a spoil sport. How have you been surviving up here?"

"That's an excellent question."

They delivered the food back to Liz and TJ and were about to set out again when Lorelai was surprised by the sound of her phone ringing. When she saw the international number, she said to Luke, "It must be Rory. I'm going to…" she pointed off toward a clump of trees.

He nodded and she answered the call as she walked away. It was in fact Rory and their conversation was just as stilted as it had been every time they had spoken since she left for Europe. They talked just long enough and politely enough to keep Emily from being suspicious until Rory said, "Well, I'm sure you want to speak to Grandma." Lorelai blinked back tears of sadness and frustration at her inability to break the wall of silence that had grown up since the night of the test run. She managed to talk briefly to her mother, before begging off and promising to talk again soon. She took a few deep breaths, then closed up her phone and put it back in her pocket. Every week that her feud with Rory continued made her despair even more about the weakening of their mother-daughter bond.

Lorelai turned to walk back to where Luke waited, thinking again about how 'friend Luke' fit into this new relationship. She wanted to talk to him, lean on him, but opening up to him as a friend now meant pulling them deeper into this new relationship and that scared her more than she wanted to admit. She was starting to realize how much she wanted this man, but she also knew that she couldn't go halfway with him. Though it was new, she wasn't afraid of the physical part of their relationship. That part always came more naturally to her and she was getting used to the attraction she was feeling for Luke. It was their closeness as friends that stumped her, because that was what made her relationship with Luke different from any other she had been in.

When she reached Liz's booth, she was surprised to find Luke talking to two women: Women who were smiling and laughing. Women who were wearing those tight dresses that pushed up their boobs. And one of them had her hand on Luke's arm. _Get your hands off my boyfriend_, she was surprised to hear in her mind.

"Hey. I'm back," she said as she walked up behind Luke and laid her arm on his shoulder.

She gave him a quick glance before turning her attention to the women, at which point the touchy-feely one removed her hand and said, "Good morrow, milady." She then turned to Luke, lowering her voice, "Lu-uke, you didn't tell us you had a girlfriend."

"Well…uh…"

Lorelai's heart sank as she watched Luke stammer his way around the word 'girlfriend.' Granted, she had just surprised herself by thinking boyfriend thoughts, but this still felt like a rebuff, especially in front of these…trollops. She looped her arm around Luke's and said, "I'm Lorelai. I'm visiting from Stars Hollow for the weekend."

"We are most pleased to make your acquaintance," the girl said somewhat formally before dropping her attempt at Ren Faire speak, "I'm Annie and this is Debbie. We work at the Grog Booth."

"Nice to meet you," Lorelai said, as politely as she could manage.

"We'll probably see you both later, right Luke?" Annie said as she touched his arm again briefly.

"Sure…later." As they walked away, he turned to her and asked, "That was a quick call. Is everything okay?" In the aftermath of seeing his stammering and Annie's hand on his sleeve, Lorelai was annoyed by the question. She knew she was being irrational, but his question now felt like an invasion. "Everything is fine," she said shortly, all thoughts of discussing Rory forgotten for the moment.

Luke looked at her for a moment, but then nodded and asked what she would like to do next. The concern in his eyes made Lorelai regret her sharpness and wonder where her uncertainties were coming from. Watching girls flirting with Luke definitely made her uneasy, but she knew there was more to it than simple jealousy. She felt out of her element here. Between the camping and being at TJ's beck and call she was on edge, and the thought of Luke having a whole new social life when she wasn't around made her queasy.

She spent the rest of the afternoon in an internal debate about Luke's intentions. She was having trouble reconciling the passionate kiss under the stars with the goodnight peck on the forehead and the embarrassing kiss at dinner. She thought she knew that he wanted this. It was Luke after all who had asked her to the wedding, danced with her and kissed her on the porch of the Dragonfly. But if that were true, why did he seem reluctant to touch her, to kiss her? Why did he stumble on the word 'girlfriend?' It wasn't like she wanted him to jump her, but some indication that he was attracted to her would be nice. She was probably being silly. Of course she was being silly, but she had to admit, the flirting girls had thrown her.

In spite of her conflicted feelings, the rest of the day passed pleasantly enough. Luke continued to mock her food choices and they both mocked the Faire itself. He was so much like the Luke that she had known for years that Lorelai began to wonder if she had imagined the entire beginning of their relationship. By the end of the day, however, Lorelai had managed to convince herself that she was in fact being ridiculous. She was here, with Luke, because they both wanted to be together.

Just before the Faire closed for the day, Luke and Lorelai returned to Liz's booth to help close up. Liz and Lorelai packed up earrings on one end of the table while Luke sorted necklaces on the other end.

"So, are you two coming to the party tonight?" Liz asked casually.

"Party? What party?"

"Oh, on Saturdays after the Faire closes, we always have a big party. There's lots of food, beer, dancing and singing. Some of the grog girls instigated it the first week and since then, it's become a tradition."

"Grog girls? I think I met a couple of them today - Annie and Debbie?"

"Oh yeah, that's them. Annie's quite the social butterfly. She's always organizing little gatherings, which I guess is a good thing, since it gets pretty dull here during the week."

"Really? She's here during the week too?" Lorelai looked over toward Luke, and suddenly all of the logical arguments she had spent the afternoon constructing fell apart.

She remembered the grog girl's hand on his arm. It was ridiculous to be jealous, right?

She remembered him stammering when asked if she was his girlfriend. But Luke wanted to be with her, right?

She remembered the embarrassment of the kiss in the restaurant last night and the goodnight kiss on the forehead. But Luke was attracted to her, right?

She was just being ridiculous. Right?

_To be continued_


	4. Jugglers and Jealousy

**Disclaimer:** These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

**Author's Note: **As always, thanks to **JeSouhaite** for the amazing beta help and to the gang at TWoP for the encouragement.

* * *

Luke watched Lorelai at the opposite end of the jewelry booth, where she was packing up jewelry for the night. She looked a little strained. Ever since the call from Rory she had been distant. It was clear that something was bothering her, but she wasn't sharing and he knew better than to push. She'd talk to him when she was ready – he hoped. It was what he thought would make this relationship different for him – and her too. The close friendship they already shared had the potential to bring them closer than he had been with any woman and he suspected closer than Lorelai had been with another man. He wondered if that was making her hesitate to lean on him and let him know what was bothering her. It wasn't that he expected her to share all of the details of Rory's life, but he needed to know that she trusted him enough to tell him when she was hurting. 

Lorelai had finished sorting the earrings and walked over to help Luke with the necklaces. "Liz was telling me about the big bash tonight. Is that what you meant when you said that a few people get together after the Faire closes?"

"Well…yeah, I guess."

"I hear that there's singing and dancing. Sounds like your kind of event," she joked, but there was a bitterness in her tone that bothered him.

"I usually eat some food and have a beer and that's about it for me. Do you want to go? If you don't want to, we could do something else."

Lorelai looked at him for a moment, her expression unreadable, "No, let's go. When does it start?"

"Usually about an hour after the Faire closes. That's about how long it takes for everyone to get their booths closed down."

After organizing the booth and setting up the tents for the night, Luke and Lorelai headed toward the center of the Faire grounds. Luke watched as Lorelai took in the scene with a skeptical look on her face. Most of the Faire people were there, and though many had taken off their costumes, there were still quite a few dressed in Renaissance garb, TJ included. A couple of industrial size grills had been rolled out and lit. Platters of hamburgers and chicken lay waiting to be cooked as well as a pile of skewered vegetables. One of the Faire people that Luke knew well, Henry, was behind the grill, checking the coals and preparing to cook.

"Luke, they must have known you were coming. They're making vegetables," Lorelai joked.

Henry looked up at her comment and said, "The vegetables were his idea. He made them the first week and they've been on the menu ever since. Hey Luke, are you going to be cooking tonight?"

"I could if you need help, but…" his voice trailed off as he glanced at Lorelai.

Henry nodded and said, "Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine. I think that Brian's going to be helping out." Then he looked at Lorelai, "Hi, I'm Henry."

"I'm Lorelai. I'm…visiting Luke," Luke saw something in her eyes then, that distant look he had seen all afternoon, and wondered again what was bothering her. "It's nice to meet you."

Later, after they had eaten their fill and Luke had tried his hardest to get Lorelai to eat a vegetable, he asked, "Do you want another beer?"

"Sure. I'll stay here and guard our log."

When he returned, he was surprised to see Lorelai talking and laughing with a guy. And not just any guy. She had to pick the juggler, the one guy here that he didn't even trust to be alone with his married sister. And she was laughing.

He walked up beside her. "Hey. Here's your drink." He thrust it into her hand, then grabbed her other hand and pulled her up. "We need to go."

They walked a few steps before Lorelai turned on him angrily, "What the hell was that?"

"What?"

"We were talking and you just barged in and-"

"He's a jerk."

"He seemed perfectly friendly."

Why was she arguing with him over this? "Is that why you were flirting with him?"

"What? I was just talking," she protested.

"That's not what he thought."

"What are you talking about?"

"That guy picks up a different woman every night. You couldn't have picked a worse guy to talk to."

"How dare you," Lorelai fumed. "_Now_ you're acting like my jealous boyfriend, but when Annie was flirting with you earlier, you couldn't get out the words to tell her we're together. What's that about?"

The words hit him like a ton of bricks. Her jealousy was so unexpected. "You're jealous of the grog girl? Are you insane?"

"I don't know Luke. Here I am visiting you for the weekend and we're dating, I think. Well, I don't know what we are, but I think we're supposed to be something. So how is it that I find myself wondering if you're even attracted to me?"

He just stared at her, wide-eyed and incredulous. He could see that part of her knew her question was ridiculous, but he could tell that there was another part that wasn't sure. It was the last thing that he would have ever expected this unbelievably gorgeous woman to be insecure about. "Are you serious?"

She didn't have an answer for him. She just looked back at him with those amazing eyes that were tinged with doubt.

He wanted to tell her how ridiculous she was being. He wanted to tell her just how long he had been attracted to her. He wanted to tell her to look in a damn mirror for God's sake. But it wasn't the logical part of her mind that needed convincing. And words had never really been his forte anyway.

He took her hand wordlessly and pulled her gently away from the party, behind the shop that sold wooden swords and shields. He took her beer and his and set them down on the ground next to the building, then stood facing her, his hands brushing down her arms. Her gaze was on him, searching his eyes to find his intent, her own eyes uncertain. He thought again about how he could explain what he felt, but the words wouldn't come. _Let your actions speak, right?_ So he reached for her waist, pulled her tightly to him, and he kissed her, hard and deep and long.

She seemed surprised at first, but he felt her relax, her hands sliding up his chest and around his neck. As her arms held him tighter, the hem of her shirt pulled out of her jeans and his hands brushed her skin. She let out a small gasp and Luke hesitated for a moment before he felt her lean into him. Feeling her acquiescence, he slipped his fingers under her shirt and gently kneaded the small of her back, eliciting a soft moan.

Dear god, he had just made Lorelai moan.

The thought was intoxicating and he reveled in the taste of her kisses and the softness of her skin. After a few minutes, Luke pulled away gently, his thumbs softly caressing her belly, "Are you convinced yet?"

Lorelai gave him a sly smile, "I don't know. I think that I may need a little more evidence before I can be sure." At that she ran her hands over his chest, her touch warm through the thin cotton of his t-shirt. He pulled her closer so that she was pressed tightly against his chest and kissed her again. The kiss was gentle, but quickly turned passionate. Lorelai broke away and ran kisses across his jawbone and down his neck, pushing him against the wall of the shop.

The crush of her breasts against his chest and her hips pressed into his was overwhelming and he whispered, "God, Lorelai." Underneath her shirt, his fingers stroked her back and his thumbs continued to caress her belly. Lorelai's mouth returned to his, her kisses fierce, and Luke felt his hands creeping higher. It wasn't until his thumbs brushed the undersides of her breasts and she let out a gasp that he realized what he was doing. _My God, I'm feeling her up like a hormonal teenager_.

He dropped his hands to her hips and pulled away reluctantly. "So…believe me now?"

"Yeah. Does this mean you want to stop?"

He shook his head "Want to? No. But we probably should. We're acting like a couple of sixteen year olds at the drive-in."

"Nothing wrong with that. At least that way I know you like me."

"Did you really think I didn't?" He couldn't hide the surprise in his voice.

"I just…well, you've been kind of hands-off the whole time I've been here."

"I didn't want to push too fast, make you feel uncomfortable."

"I'm a big girl. Besides, I trust you." She paused for a moment before asking, "Did you really think that I would come here to be with you and flirt with another guy?"

Luke hung his head. She had misunderstood his intentions, but he had questioned her integrity. "Lorelai, I'm so-"

"Don't - I think that we've both been a little on edge. We're still trying to figure out how to be together. I guess I'm just used to guys being more, I don't know…obvious."

"Lorelai, I'm attracted to you…very much, but this…us. I want this to work, so I don't want to rush it. I don't want to rush into…you know."

"Sleeping together?"

"Yeah," he said, looking down sheepishly.

"But you do want to?"

"Didn't we already go through this?" He couldn't believe she was still wondering.

"So…?" But there it was. She was still waiting for answer.

"Yes, but not here on the ground, surrounded by lunatics and 10 feet from Liz and TJ. I want to take you out – just us, and have a real date. Did you think…were you expecting?"

"I'm just not used to having sleepovers with guys I'm not…uh…sleeping with. I didn't know what to expect."

He took her hands in his and said softly, "Lorelai, you know I would never-"

"I know."

He looked down and watched his thumbs draw circles on the backs of her hands. They were silent for several long moments. Eventually he found his voice again, "So…that thing with the grog girls. Was that what was bothering you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been kind of distant all afternoon," he said gently. It seemed like you were upset."

She shrugged. "You didn't seem like you wanted to admit we were together."

"That's all it was about?" He didn't really believe that there wasn't more to it.

"What did you think it was?"

"I thought it might have had something to do with the phone call."

"Oh." She looked down, avoiding his eyes.

He waited, hoping, but somehow knowing that she was still not ready to share that piece of herself. He tried to decide if he should give her an out, to let her know that he wasn't pushing, but she spoke first.

"Why didn't you want to call me your girlfriend?"

"I don't know. It seemed a little presumptuous. I mean…this is new. Besides, girlfriend makes it sound like we're twelve."

"But we are something, right? Is it dating? What is it?"

"Dating sounds kind of…casual, and we haven't actually been on a date yet anyway. Can't we just say that we're together?"

"That's not very specific." She looked at him and he shrugged. "Fine. You do what you want. I'm going to call you my boyfriend, even if it does sound like we're twelve. Unless you want me to say that you're my man-slave." She said the last part with a grin, taunting him.

He looked down at her, worried about the part of her that was still hiding, but relieved to see her smile come back, "I guess I can live with boyfriend, at least until we come up with something better."

"Yay, I have a boyfriend!" Lorelai said with a small squeal.

"Now you do sound like you're twelve."

Lorelai just giggled and looked around for her beer. She picked it up to take a drink then stopped. "Luke, there's some nature crap in my beer."

"Nature crap?" he asked, looking in to see a few bugs floating in her cup. "Oh. Bugs. Do you want to go back, get another one?"

"Sure."

As they walked back, Luke put his arm around her and rested his hand on her hip. As they came back from behind the building, they ran into Liz.

"Hey, where have you guys been? Making out behind the store?" she teased.

Lorelai giggled and Luke felt himself redden.

"Oh my god, you were! Well, I knew it! I knew that my big brother wasn't really that much of a saint."

"What do you mean Liz?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"I couldn't figure out why he didn't show any interest in anyone, no matter how much they tried."

"Tried what? Who tried?" Lorelai sounded anxious.

"Luke had some female admirers," Liz explained.

"Liz," Luke protested. The last thing he needed was for this whole idea to get stirred up again, after they seemed to have resolved it.

Liz waved him off and continued, "But he didn't even seem to notice. I didn't really get it until I caught him sneaking off to make a phone call. On a cell phone. I never thought my Luke of all people would get a cell phone." She looked at Lorelai then. "He didn't tell me until this week that it was you, but I'm not surprised. I've had a feeling about you two."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He gave you the earrings, didn't he?"

"He told me you wanted me to have them."

"That wasn't exactly how the conversation went," Liz said, eying Luke pointedly.

"It was no big deal," he protested.

She shrugged, "If you say so, bro. I was on my way to pee and I better get back to TJ before he starts to think that I ran off with Harold. Hey, Lorelai?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming. I think he missed you," she said, gesturing at her brother.

"Well, I missed him too," she said, wrapping her arms around one of his and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Great. See what I mean? I'm always right when I get these feelings about something." She said as she hobbled toward the bathroom.

It didn't take Lorelai long, "So what was that about the earrings?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me, buddy? Who were they supposed to be for?"

This was dangerous territory. The last thing that he wanted to do was delve into the complexities of his feelings over the past year. "She told me to choose, but she specifically mentioned you by name."

"And you gave them to me," she said, her voice soft. He wondered if, like him, she was thinking _and not Nicole_.

"I wanted you to have them," he said simply.

"Okay," she said, seeming to accept his answer for now, though there was still a question in her eyes.

* * *

That night, when they returned to the tent after their trip to the bathroom, Lorelai took his hand, "You don't have to wait outside tonight. We're both adults." He nodded, and they both ducked inside the tent. 

While he propped up a flashlight for them to see by, Lorelai dug through her bags looking for her pajamas, her back to him. Once she found them, she pulled off her shirt. Luke turned his head away and tried to focus on his own clothes.

"Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm having trouble with my bra. Can you undo the clasp for me?"

"Having trouble, huh?"

"Yeah, for some reason I just can't seem to get it loose this time."

"And you need me to do it for you."

"Well, if you would be so kind."

He sat behind her and gently pulled apart the straps and she let them fall down her shoulders. He laid his hands on her shoulder blades and let them slide down her back. Then he rested them back on her shoulders, giving a gentle squeeze as he leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Are you trying to test my resolve?"

"Maybe a little. Is it working?"

"Do you really want it to? Here? Now?" It was a tricky question. He didn't know how to respond if she said yes.

She seemed to pause for a moment and Luke held his breath waiting for her response. But she just leaned forward to pick up her t-shirt and pulled it over her head before turning around to face him. "I guess you're right. This probably isn't the best place. I'll just have to wait a little longer to see you shirtless," she said as she trailed her fingers lightly down his chest.

He swallowed thickly, "I guess you will."

She leaned forward to kiss him lightly, then brought her mouth to his ear and whispered, "I'm looking forward to it."

He could only blush in response, then turn around to pull out of his pants and into sweats while Lorelai did the same. They both slipped into their sleeping bags and then turned to face one another. Luke propped his head up on his elbow and reached a finger out to trace a line from her ear down her jawline. He cupped his hand around her cheek and leaned in to give her a soft, lingering kiss.

When he pulled back, she said softly, "Now _that_ was a good night kiss. Good night, Luke."

"Good night, Lorelai."

They both lay quiet for a few minutes, before Lorelai asked, "Luuuuke?"

"What?"

"Do you have to sleep way over there?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're too far away." She wriggled a little closer to him and wrapped her hands around his arm. "You aren't afraid of me are you?"

"That depends. This isn't another ploy to test me, is it?"

"No. I just…It makes me feel better."

"Okay. Come here." He wrapped his arm around her as she settled her head on his shoulder. He had expected the unresolved sexual tension to make it much harder to relax tonight, but for some reason it didn't. It was as though recognizing it had somehow made it easier to deal with. He had been amazed earlier at the strength of her uncertainty about his feelings, though she seemed convinced now. As she nuzzled into his shoulder and placed her arm across his chest, he could feel the tension leaving her body. He felt himself relax as well.

He could feel her voice almost before he could hear it. "I don't know why, it's not really logical, but having you hold me makes me a lot less freaked out by the random animal noises."

Her admission surprised him, and he lifted his head to look her in the eye. "Why didn't you tell me they bothered you?"

"I didn't want to…well…you like camping, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but-"

She interrupted, her voice worried. "Is it okay if I don't like camping?"

Luke smiled in the dark. "I'm not planning more camping trips any time soon. I think I'll have had my fill after this summer."

_To be continued_


	5. Campsites and Confessions

**Disclaimer:** These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

**Author's Note**: Huge thanks to **JeSouhaite** for being such a patient beta. This was pretty rough and she helped me smooth the edges

* * *

Lorelai woke the next morning to the sound of Luke's measured breathing. He was lying on his side facing her with his arm across her waist. She could feel the barest tickle of his breath on her cheek. It would be quite an intimate moment if they weren't in separate sleeping bags, she thought, stifling a chuckle. She brushed her fingers across the back of his hand and intertwined her fingers with his before turning his hand so that she could run her thumb back and forth across his palm. His skin was soft and warm and she realized that in spite of the innocence of the sleeping arrangements, she hadn't felt this close to a man in a long time. 

She tried to remember the last time that she had woken up next to someone. Between the oddity that was Jason and her strict rules separating her dating life and her home life with Rory, there had been few opportunities. There was that trip to New York with Alex and maybe a few other times. She thought waking up with Luke here should feel unusual, a little weird. She was surprised to realize that it didn't. This felt different. He was different. First of all, with any other man she had been with, they would have had sex by now. It wasn't that she wasn't ready or didn't want to be with him because Godshe wanted to. It was that it mattered to him where and how it happened. That _they_ mattered to him.

Lorelai had never really put a great deal of thought into sex. It was fun. It happened when it happened, with men she was attracted to who were attracted to her. With men she cared about. But she had cared about those men in a superficial way, and she had kept them at arms length. Luke was different. She could never keep him at arms length, and she was starting to realize that she didn't want to. It was why, even though she had tested him, she was secretly pleased to find out that it mattered to him when and where they would make love for the first time. Because sex with Luke was going to be different. It was going to matter.

She could tell when Luke woke because he squeezed her fingers gently. She turned to look at him as he propped his head up on his elbow and smiled at her. "Hey, good morning." His voice was soft and gentle.

"Good morning," she said, glancing up at him briefly before the intensity of his gaze turned her eyes down.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. It's just…been a long time since I woke up next to a guy."

She couldn't help but notice the look of surprise that flashed across his face before it changed to concern. "But…this is okay, right?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile.

"Do you want some coffee? I could go make some." He started to sit up.

"That would be great. But wait, before you get up," Lorelai reached for his shoulder and leaned in for a gentle kiss. He ran his fingers down her cheek as she pulled away. "I just wanted to give you a proper good morning kiss."

Luke smiled. "I appreciate it. Now coffee?"

"You certainly know the magic words. Wait for me, though. I want to see the camp stove in action." He chuckled as he pulled on his shoes, "I'll just get it started up."

Lorelai slipped on her shoes and started to reach for a sweatshirt from her bag, before spotting Luke's flannel lying at the end of his sleeping bag. It seemed appropriate to wear his shirt now that he was officially her 'boyfriend,' whether he liked that word or not.

He looked up when she ducked out of the tent. "Hey, that's my shirt."

"I know, but doesn't it look good on me?"

"I'm sure that almost anything would look better with you in it, but isn't it a little early in the relationship for you to be stealing my clothes?"

"I think it's just the right time, now that you're my _boyfriend_," she teased, drawing out the word.

"You're not going to make me regret that conversation, are you?"

"Oh most definitely," Lorelai took a seat next to him on one of the overturned logs that served as primitive benches all over the faire grounds. She gestured toward the metal contraption in front of her, "So this is it?"

"This is it."

"It's small."

"Well it works. After the coffee is done, I'll make some pancakes."

"You can do that?" She knew she wasn't really surprised that it was possible but rather at the realization that though Luke often made her breakfast, she loved the thought of him cooking breakfast after waking up next to her.

"Yes, the wonders of cooking do work outside the confines of the diner," he said dryly.

"Well good. I can't wait."

"Let me guess, you're starving?"

"Of course." She grinned as she snuggled close to him, resting her head on his shoulder as his arm held her around her waist. "This is nice."

"You do know that we're still camping, right?"

"Yeah. Somehow, in spite of that, it's still nice." It really was. It felt comfortable to be here with Luke. _They_ felt comfortable

* * *

Lorelai studied the Faire map, trying to decide where to start their day. "Hey, Luke. There's this whole section we missed yesterday." 

"Are you sure? It seemed like we saw everything."

"No, I would have remembered the fudge stand. Let's go over here. I want to make sure I don't miss anything."

"Yeah, you wouldn't want that," Luke said sarcastically.

"There it is," Lorelai said excitedly as they walked into the unexplored corner of the faire ground. "We have to-" She stopped suddenly and pointed beyond the fudge stand. "Oh Luke look, it's one of those games where you hit the hammer and ring the bell. This is your opportunity to show off your strength and manliness."

"You have got to be joking."

"No, it's what you're supposed to do when you're at the Faire with a girl. You have to show off and win her things. Come on Luke, please? Besides," she said, lowering her voice as she turned to face him, "I'd just love to see you show off your muscles. Please?"

"Fine," he grumped

"Ooh yay!" she squealed, jumping up and pulling him toward the game.

The attendant smiled at them, "Luke! How are you? I heard you had a visitor. So…this is your girlfriend?"

Luke looked down for a moment, then at her and said, "Yeah…this is Lorelai. Lorelai, this is George."

Lorelai flashed Luke a smile in recognition of his admission and then turned to say, "Nice to meet you George."

"Nice to meet you. So she dragged you over here, huh?"

"Yeah."

"You know, Luke has been getting in some practice over here after hours," George said, looking at Lorelai.

"Really?" Lorelai was intrigued.

"It's nothing. Just a couple of times when we've been hanging out after the Faire closes," Luke protested.

"Alright. Well, let's see it. Oh, wait. I think that flannel shirt is going to get in your way. Let's get that off." She started to unbutton the shirt.

"Lorelai!" Luke protested, "I am not taking off my shirt."

"But how else am I going to see your muscles?"

He just glared at her. "Do you want me to do this or not?"

"Fine. But it's just not going to be the same." Lorelai tried to pout, but was foiled by a grin she just couldn't hide.

* * *

"Okay, now that that humiliation is over, what next?" Luke asked as they walked back toward the center of the Faire. 

"Well, there's that toy sword store. Do you want to go sneak around back and make out?"

"Jeez Lorelai." Luke glanced around, as if to make sure no one had overheard her.

"What do you expect after such an amazing display of testosterone?"

"If I remember correctly it was you who insisted that I pound that ridiculous hammer. Oh, don't even-"

"Dirty!"

He rolled his eyes, "You never stop, do you?"

"Nope, not really. Do you think you can put up with me?" she teased.

"Do I really have a choice?" he asked, trying to sound exasperated, but not really succeeding.

"No. You're stuck with me," she said, grinning up at him.

"I guess I'll have to make do then," he said, lowering his voice and leaning down to give her a quick kiss.

* * *

"The joust is about to start. We missed it yesterday. Would you like to…" 

"Yeah, but let's get some food first."

"But, of course."

After they had gone through their traditional arguments about food choices, they settled down on the grass, and Lorelai surveyed the scene, "We need to pick a side to cheer for."

Luke smirked at her, "You know it's pretend, right?"

"Oh, so what?"

"Fine, how about green?"

"Mmm, I don't like green. You go for green, I'll go for blue."

"Okay," he replied with a sly grin.

Lorelai just looked at him curiously and continued eating. They sat companionably, watching as the green and blue-clad knights mounted their horses and began some practice runs.

After a few minutes, Luke asked tentatively, "Lorelai?'

"Yeah?"

"Is everything okay with you and Rory?"

Lorelai tensed and felt her chest tighten, wondering what had made him ask now, when he had been so carefully avoiding the question all weekend. It made her wonder if this was what he expected now that they were 'officially' a couple. She had been so comfortable, gradually adapting to the combination of boyfriend Luke and friend Luke, but still not totally sure how they fit together.

"Are you asking as my boyfriend or as my friend?'

He looked confused at the question. "Does it matter?" He paused as if waiting for a response, but then continued when she stayed silent. "I'm asking as the guy who's known you and Rory for the better part of ten years and wants to know if there is anything he can do to help."

His words touched her. "It helps that you're asking." She paused, knowing he was hoping for more. Her solution was to temporarily deflect his larger question, "Hey, that green guy just jabbed that blue one with the stick and made him fall off his horse."

Luke looked at her for a moment, trying to cover his disappointment. He might have been able to fool others, but she could see him evaluating, trying to decide if he should push. He didn't. "It's a joust, Lorelai. That's sort of the point."

"It just doesn't seem fair." She smiled teasingly, but then looked down to avoid his eyes. She wondered if she should leave it there. It was safer that way, and she knew he would let her. As if to reinforce that thought, Luke reached out and squeezed her hand reassuringly. She looked at him and saw only compassion in his eyes and knew then that he wasn't 'the boyfriend' or 'the friend.' He was simply _Luke_. She looked up to watch the joust, feeling his eyes on her. Gradually the tension of the moment passed and though they were quiet, it felt like the expectation was gone.

Lorelai breathed a small sigh of relief, but found herself wondering if she had just let an important moment pass. Luke was here, offering his support with no pressure. Though she hated to admit it, even to herself, she was tired of pretending that everything was fine. This wasn't the kind of thing she had been able to share with Sookie. There would have been too many questions. Sookie would have pushed without meaning to push. Somehow she knew that she could trust Luke not to. She thought for a few moments then looked sideways at him. "Why did you ask?"

He looked confused for a moment, but then realized what she meant. "The expression on your face every time her name comes up… and that phone call yesterday. You talk longer on the phone to people who are trying to sell you things."

His simple observations overwhelmed her and she rested her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to make you upset."

"You didn't." She glanced sideways at him. "I want to talk to you, and I would if I could, but I can't. It's personal to Rory. I can't betray her confidence."

"I would never ask you to," he said with quiet assurance.

That earned him a soft smile.

"Lorelai…?"

"Yeah?"

"Is she okay?" She knew Luke wasn't trying to pry, and that his question came from genuine concern for her and Rory.

"She is, I think. I'm just not sure that she and I are." That was the piece of it that hurt so much and it helped that he didn't say anything. He just waited to see if she would continue. "Rory did something and it really disappointed me. We fought. She said she hated me. Luke, she has _never_ said anything like that before."

"You know she didn't mean it."

"Do I?" She paused for a moment, looking at him, then sighed. "Yeah, I do. It still doesn't change the fact that she said it, that she left the country angry with me. I can feel her slipping away from me."

"She'll come back."

"How do you know?"

"I have never known two people as close as you. You've spent years building that relationship. You are her role model, her friend, and her mother. That can't be taken away overnight."

"I hope you're right, because I miss her so much." She could feel her voice cracking. Luke wrapped his arm around her tightly and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not pushing."

His response was to give her a soft smile and another squeeze, before directing her attention to the jousting field. "Hey, they're about to do the last round."

A few minutes later, they were gathering their trash from lunch and walking away from the field. "Oh, man. Can't believe green won. That's so not fair." She saw Luke trying to hide a grin.

"What?"

"Green always wins in the morning. Blue wins in the afternoon."

Luke smiled at the look of shock on Lorelai's face. "How could you not tell me?"

"Now where's the fun in that?"

She just gave him a gentle slap on his arm and they continued walking, no particular destination in mind.

Luke interrupted the silence. "Lorelai?"

"Yeah?"

"Does Rory know…about us?" His voice dropped at the end of his question.

"She knew about the wedding and the movie."

"Really? So you did know…" His voice became teasing.

"Just that something might be going on. I really wasn't sure." She paused for a moment. "She doesn't know about…the test run."

He nodded.

"I wasn't hiding it. I didn't want to hide it. I went home that night to find her…and…" her voice grew pained, "she left the next day."

Luke nodded again, and the expression on his face was that of understanding, as if her explanation had filled in some blanks for him. "I wish I could have been there for you."

"You have been." Just as he had _always_ been there for her. Why had it taken her so long to figure out that he was still the same Luke she had always relied on? That even though _they_ were changing, _he_ hadn't changed at all?

* * *

"I wish I didn't have to go so soon, but I told Michel that I'd be back by seven to relieve him at the inn." 

"I'm just glad you were able to get away for the weekend."

"So am I. Really glad." She snaked her hands around his neck and pulled him in for a long kiss. When she pulled back, she said, "I have something for you."

"For me?"

"Yeah." She turned to pull a toy wooden sword out of her bag and tucked it into Luke's belt. "It's just a memento of our first real make-out session. So you won't forget."

"As if I ever could."

"So, how much longer?"

"I think about three weeks."

"Three weeks?" she whined. "I don't want to wait – Oh God I just had a really bad flashback to WB teen angst"

"Huh?"

"This show that Rory and Lane loved. Joey and Dawson. Joey and Pacey. It was _years_ of will-they, won't they? Will it be her first love – the boy across the creek, or the gruff but far sexier boy she always fought with? God it was nauseating." Luke just looked at her like she had three heads. "Oh, Joey was a girl. That can be confusing sometimes."

"Yeah, that's the thing that was bothering me," he said sarcastically.

"Okay, well flashback over."

"And you're reminded of this, why?"

"The theme song. I don't want to wait for our lives to be over, I want to know right now what will it be…"

Luke cut off her singing. "Now who was it that was addicted to this show?"

"Oh stop it. You're missing the point anyway."

"There was a point?" Luke asked dryly.

"Yeah. I'm going to miss you," Lorelai said, all hint of teasing gone.

"Me too. I'm really glad you came."

"So am I," she said as she held his face in her hands and kissed him softly, letting her lips linger on his. She pulled back slowly and got into the jeep, rolling down the window before shutting the door, "Will you call me at the inn tonight?" She reached for his hand and laced her fingers through his.

"Of course. Bye Lorelai," he said, giving her hand a squeeze before letting it go.

"Bye Luke." She pulled away slowly, reluctant to leave now that they were just figuring out how to be comfortable together. The only thing pulling her back to Stars Hollow right now was obligation. She wasn't looking forward to three more weeks without Luke and the continued wall of silence between her and Rory.

Looking in her rearview mirror, Lorelai was not surprised to see Luke standing where she had left him, his hands in his back pockets. As she stopped just before turning the corner, she stuck her arm out the door and waved, already looking forward to his phone call.

_To be continued_


	6. Goodbye For Now

**Chapter 6 – Goodbye For Now**

**Disclaimer:** These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

**Author's Note**: Thanks so much for reading and thanks to the gang at TWoP for the encouragement. Most especially, a huge thank you to **JeSouhaite** for betaing this whole fic. This is not remotely the same story it would have been without her input and feedback, and that's a really good thing.

* * *

Luke watched Lorelai pull away and followed her car with his eyes, smiling when he saw her wave before turning the corner. He dreaded the remaining weeks he would have to spend here, knowing what and who waited for him in Stars Hollow. He pulled the toy sword out of his belt, chuckling to himself at the gift. It was so very Lorelai to want to document such a moment, though he had to admit, it was definitely a moment worth remembering. 

Today had felt so comfortable, and he was relieved that Lorelai was finally willing to talk about Rory. Though he had been hoping all weekend that she would open up to him, he was still sort of awed by it when it happened. She gave her trust so sparingly, to so few. For quite a while now, he had been one of those few, but starting this relationship had shaken the situation and it was as if she had to learn to trust him as a friend all over again.

He still felt a hint of worry, however, that last night's fight was a signal that something was not quite right. The responsibility was his, he thought. Not only had he accused her of flirting, but his inability to express himself had shaken her confidence in a completely unexpected way. It still surprised him to think about the vulnerability she had shown him. He had always seen her as a fountain of confidence, beautiful, bright and bubbly, but he was beginning to wonder if he really knew her as well as he thought he did.

His bigger fear, and the one he could barely admit to himself, was that she would realize that he wasn't the man she wanted to be with. He knew that he was different from other men she had dated. Those men didn't make Lorelai wonder if they were attracted to her. They didn't make her question herself. They told her what they felt. He had never been very good at that.

He walked reluctantly back into the Faire, trying to imagine how he had tolerated this madness without her helping him to make light of it. Since he no longer had anything better to do, he returned to Liz's booth to see if Liz and TJ needed anything.

Liz looked up as he approached, "Lorelai had to leave?"

"Yeah, she needs to work at the inn tonight."

"Luke," TJ cut in, "I have to tell you. I don't know how you did it. I have no idea what that girl sees in you, but she is _hot_, and way out of your league, buddy."

There were so many ways in which TJ's statement was inappropriate, not the least of which was talking that way about another woman in front of his wife, but Luke could not even respond, having had almost the same thoughts only moments before.

"Oh Luke, don't listen to him," Liz said, giving TJ a gentle slap on the head. She turned to Luke and said softly, "I'm really glad you're with her. She makes you happy, and 'happy' and 'Luke' aren't two words I usually think of together."

"Yeah…well…she does make life interesting."

"I'm sorry that we're keeping you two apart, especially since you just got together. Have I told you lately how amazing you are for coming up here to help us?"

"You don't have to-"

"No, really Luke. It means a lot that you're here, especially after all I've put you through. Does Lorelai know how lucky she is to have found such a wonderful guy?"

He couldn't really respond, except to shrug. Right now, he wasn't sure if he was really as good for her as she was for him.

Liz must have seen his uncertainty, because she added, "Luke, you make her happy too. I told you, I've got a feeling about you two, just like I had about me and TJ."

Somehow, that was not as encouraging as Liz had probably hoped it would be.

* * *

Luke waited to call Lorelai until he knew that the rush of dinner would be over and they might be able to talk uninterrupted. He couldn't believe how much he was looking forward to talking to her again, how much he missed her already. 

"Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking. How may I help you?"

"Lorelai, it's me."

Her voice softened with recognition, "Luke. I'm glad you called."

"Yeah…well…it's definitely not the same around here without you."

"No big parties? No girls around to flirt with?"

"Lorelai…" he protested. He knew that she was joking, but it reminded him of their fight and everything he had been worrying about all day.

"I'm sorry. I was just teasing. I didn't mean it," her voice had grown gentle, concerned.

"I know you didn't. I just…I'm really sorry about last night."

"For what?" she sounded honestly confused.

"For fighting. For accusing you…"

"Luke, you already apologized for that."

"Actually, I don't think that I did."

"It was just a misunderstanding and it's in the past."

He marveled that she could just set the argument aside and move on, but he had been thinking about it so much since she had left, that he wasn't able to brush it away. "Lorelai, I just…I don't want you to wonder about me…about us."

"What do you mean, wonder?" She was confused again, and Luke sighed again at his inability to say what he meant.

"Lorelai, you're used to guys who tell you stuff, buy you flowers-"

"You bought me flowers."

"I know, but that was unusual for me. I'm not great with words and stuff. I'm not…obvious. You're used to the thousand yellow daisies kind of guys."

He heard her take in a breath, "Luke, I didn't marry him."

"At least you knew how he felt about you."

"Yeah," she said, a little sadly. "I just didn't know how I felt about him. It's easy to let yourself get so wrapped up in what someone else feels that you forget to think about what you feel. Where is all this coming from?"

"When you said you didn't know if I wanted to be with you, it really threw me. It made me wonder if I'm the right-"

"Stop. Don't do this, Luke. I want to be with you." She paused and he heard her take a breath before continuing, "I don't want a thousand yellow daisies. Maybe I used to want that, or think that I wanted that, but I don't now. I want the guy who can tell when I'm hurting but lets me change the subject until I'm ready to talk about it."

"Oh." How was it possible for her to say a few words (okay, more than a few - this was Lorelai after all) and turn everything that he had been feeling upside down?

"Yeah."

"Well…uh…good."

"I also want the guy whose kisses are amazing, but who has this crazy idea about waiting for the right time and place to uh…you know." She was teasing now, her voice dropping at the last few words to mimic his euphemism for sex. Her tone was a signal to bring back the banter.

"Really? Amazing, huh?" His voice was light. Her words gave him a new assurance.

"Yeah, it'll give me something to think about during these three _long_ weeks until you get home," she said, still teasing.

He swallowed thickly. "Well…I'll be thinking of you too."

"Good. So, speaking of you coming back, where are you going to take me?"

Luke couldn't resist. "Dirty!"

Lorelai laughed. "That's not what I meant! Where are we going to go for our first date?"

"Lorelai, we just spent a weekend together. Doesn't that qualify as a first date?"

"Not in the traditional first-date sense. Don't you owe me a movie?"

"Yeah, you're right, though in the weeks since I asked you, I've been rethinking-"

"Rethinking? Don't you dare!" As much as he hated himself for thinking it, it was good to hear the horror in her voice.

"Not rethinking the date. Rethinking the _plan_ for the date, our 'first date' if you want to call it that."

"So you can't be a movie guy after all?"

"I can, and I suspect that being with you isn't going to give me much choice about that, but I had a different idea for this date."

"Oh share, share!"

"I'd like to surprise you, but let's just say that dinner will be involved."

"Sounds good, as long as there's dessert..." Her tone said that she might not be referring to food.

"Well then, I'll have to figure that into the plans."

"Good. I'll be looking forward to it."

They continued their banter about the upcoming date. It felt so familiar and yet different at the same time. Their wordplay often had sexual undertones, but now those light jokes held promise as well. He thought perhaps it was Lorelai's way of reassuring him, convincing him that she was sure about him.

He felt himself relaxing as they talked, allowing himself to fall into the comfort of their relationship. The hidden fears gradually left him as he realized he didn't need to measure up to 'those other guys' that Lorelai has dated. Because she wants _him_. He rolled that around in his head and replayed the weekend, starting to wonder if there might be another explanation for Lorelai's temporary lack of confidence. That maybe it wasn't about him not measuring up, but about her feelings for him. He was struck by the possibility that this relationship was different for her in the same way that it was different for him. That maybe it mattered to her, that _he_ mattered to her, in an entirely new way. At least, that's what it was starting to feel like.

_The end_


End file.
